BYU secures program-record 69 entries to NCAA West Prelims

OutdoorQualifiersOutdoorQualifiers

PROVO, Utah – BYU track and field qualified a program-high 69 entries to the 2021 NCAA West Preliminary Round, marking the most combined men’s and women’s entries by any NCAA Division I program this season.

The Cougars have set program highs in regional entries the last three seasons. In 2018, BYU had 58 entries to the regional meet and increased that number to 59 the following outdoor season in 2019. Following the cancelation of the 2020 outdoor season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cougars improved their combined entries to 69 this year.

BYU’s 69 combined entries are the most amongst NCAA Division I programs this season. Oregon has the second-most combined entries with 61 and is followed by Texas Tech who has 60.

The No. 5 BYU men’s team qualified 34 entries for the second season in a row, tying Oregon for the most men’s regional entries in the nation. The No. 16 BYU women’s team secured the second-most women’s entries in the nation with 35, just one behind Texas Tech’s 36 entries.

The BYU men’s team boasts the top-ranked 1500m squad and 3000m steeplechase squad in the nation. The men also have the No. 2 5000m squad, No. 3 javelin squad, No. 4 10,000m squad and No. 5 pole vault squad.

The BYU women’s team heads into the championship season with the top-ranked 1500m squad in the nation. The women also have the No. 2 javelin squad, No. 2 3000m steeplechase squad and No. 2 800m squad.

For each individual event at each of the preliminary round sites, the top 48 declared student-athletes were accepted into the competition. For each relay event, the top 24 declared relay teams were accepted into the competition. The top 12 performers from each event at each of the two NCAA preliminary rounds will advance to the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Each athlete is seeded based on his or her qualifying time or mark. The Cougars had 30 entries seeded in the top 15 of their respective events, including 15 entries that are seeded in the top 5. A comprehensive list of BYU regional qualifiers is included in the table below.

The NCAA West Preliminary Round will be hosted in College Station, Texas. The four-day meet will begin Wednesday, May 26, and conclude on Saturday, May 29.  

Complete list of regional entries: Men | Women
NCAA West Prelims: Schedule | General Information

BYU WOMEN'S REGIONAL ENTRIES

EventAthletes and Seed Number
100mJaslyn Gardner (No. 17)
800m

Anna Camp-Bennett (No. 3)
Alena Ellsworth (No. 4)
Meghan Hunter (No. 5)
Claire Seymour (No. 18)

1500m

Whittni Orton (No. 3)
Olivia Hoj Simister (No. 4)
Anna Camp-Bennett (No. 5)
Kate Hunter (No. 13)
Simone Plourde (No. 15)
Lauren Ellsworth-Barnes (No. 18)
Heather Hanson (No. 36)

5000m

Whittni Orton (No. 1)

10,000m

Aubrey Frentheway (No. 9)
Haley Johnston (No. 31)
McKenna Lee Hansen (No. 36)
Anna Martin (No. 47)

100m Hurdles

Adaobi Tabugbo (No. 48)

400m Hurdles

Halley Folsom Walker (No. 20)
Kayla Perry (No. 43)

3000m Steeplechase

Courtney Wayment (No. 1)
Sara Musselman (No. 18)
Lexy Halladay (No. 23)
Meri Dunford (No. 28)
Madi Moffitt (No. 42)

4x400m

BYU (No. 15)

High Jump

Cierra Tidwell Allphin (No. 18)
Mayci Torgerson (No. 43)

Shot Put

Gretchen Hoekstre (No. 28)
Sierra Freeland (No. 37)

Discus

Sable Lohmeier El-Bakri (No. 27)
Gretchen Hoekstre (No. 38)

Javelin

Ashton Riner (No. 1)
Payge Cuthbertson (No. 30)
Libby Parkinson (No. 31)

BYU MEN'S REGIONAL ENTRIES

EventAthlete and Seed No.
200m

Dallin Draper (No. 39)
Landon Maxfield (No. 43)

400mMichael Bluth (No. 8)

1500m

Lucas Bons (No. 2)
Talem Franco (No. 3)
Aidan Troutner (No. 8)
Elijah Armstrong (No. 19)
 

5000m

Casey Clinger (No. 6)
Brandon Garnica (No. 7)
Easton Allred (No. 38)
Michael Ottesen (No. 44)
Elijah Armstrong (No. 45)
Connor Weaver (No. 46)

10,000m

Conner Mantz (No. 1)
Connor Weaver (No. 15)
Michael Ottesen (No. 34)

400m Hurdles

Colten Yardley (No. 15)
Jesus Serrano (No. 18)

3000m SteeplechaseGarrett Marsing (No. 3)
Clayson Shumway (No. 8)
Matt Owens (No. 16)
Adam Wood (No. 19)
Kramer Morton (No. 29)
 
4x100m

BYU (No. 13)

4x400m

BYU (No. 13)

High Jump

Jacob Veres (No. 17)
Jake Grimsman (No. 43)

Pole Vault

Zach McWhorter (No. 4)
Caleb Witsken (No. 16)

Triple Jump

Rickey Fantroy Jr. (No. 6)

Discus Throw

Dallin Shurts (No. 10)

Javelin

Cameron Bates (No. 2)
Michael Whittaker (No. 29)
Max Tooley (No. 44)